Maureen
Dear SHARE member,
My name is Maureen, I’m 20 years old and currently in my third year of the bachelor Health Policy and Management at ESHPM. This year I fulfil the task of treasurer in the Ski Trip committee, where we have arranged a ski trip full of snow, après ski and lots of fun together! Besides studying I like to hang out with friends, go clubbing, play sports or work at one of my additional jobs.
The last two years of education went well for me, without any obstacles. I started my third year with a minor abroad. I love to travel and always had in mind to immediately take the opportunity for a far journey when it came my way. So, when I heard about the Minor Global Health in my second year of the studies, it immediately got my interest. In this minor you will learn about the aspects of global health and international healthcare in low- and middle-income countries, in contrast with health and healthcare in the Netherlands. I chose for Cape Town in South Africa and after being accepted, I could start arranging everything for going abroad!
The minor starts with 4 weeks of lectures in the Netherlands ending with a final exam. After that everyone travels to their destinations. I went to Cape Town for six weeks with five other students, four medical students and one of my best friends from BMG. It turned out that the group was the perfect fit and I couldn’t have wished for a better group. Together we experienced lots of amazing things. On weekday mornings we did an internship in the hospital, where we joined a couple of doctors during their working day on different wards. We learned a lot about the problems there, the different way of working and of course the different diseases. In our spare time we travelled around the city and explored all the beautiful places Cape Town had to offer. And believe me, there are a lot. I really fell in love with the city and hope to return as soon as possible!
When I arrived back in the Netherlands there were a couple days to settle down and get used to the cold here (a lot of people were surprised because I had a tan in the middle of November). Then I started right away with elective courses of ESHPM. After this period, it was time for me to start with my graduation project. I had found an internship through ESHPM and now I have just started with my research into the implementation of guidelines in a hospital. I expect to learn a lot the last half year of my studies and hope to get some insight in what I want to do next.
I would recommend going abroad to everyone, because you really learn a lot from it. Say yes to new adventures!